‘Stealth #1:’ Advance Comic Book Review

I love a good, real-life twist in a superhero comic, and Stealth gives me just that. For decade,s we have read superhero stories, and, after a while, they tend to get repetitive and stale. It takes a twist like putting Daredevil in jail or letting Doc Ock take over Peter Parker's body to give it life again.

Stealth starts off telling the reader about the deteriorating state of the city of Detroit from the point of view of a young journalist. It then cuts between his life and the nightly vigilante adventures of Detroit's hero, “Stealth.” As the story progresses, you see him saving the city, but you also see that Stealth himself is not the hero he once was. He is an aging hero battling Alzheimer's.

My grandfather, whom I lost a few years ago, suffered from this same disease. He was someone who was always my champion, being there with the right words when I needed them. Once diagnosed, I wasn’t able to see him for a year due to financial constraints, and by the time I did, he didn’t remember me at all. He was easily confused and lost. The only thing he wanted to talk about was being in the war, as he was a veteran of Vietnam. He was even a hero; he had a bronze star that he had safely stored in a blue velvet box.

Reading Stealth reminded me of my grandfather. A strong man - a hero - used to fighting for what they believe in, starting to be broken down by a disease that changes not their body, but their mind. This first issue is a great setup for what feels like an emotional journey to come. But be prepared: If you have lost someone to Alzheimer's, it will pull at your heartstrings.